Ngl I was ready to rehome him after three sleepless nights, but swapping the white bulb for a red one calmed him right down. Anyone else tried lighting tricks to fix rooster noise?
My girls stopped laying for almost a month back in February. I checked their feed, changed the lighting, even took a fecal sample to the vet. $60 later they said everything was fine. Turns out they were just sick of their same old coop setup. I hung a cabbage on a string and threw in some scratch and boom, eggs the next morning. Has anyone else's flock gone on strike for no real reason?
I was dead set on keeping my automatic coop door after spending $80 on it. But last night around 3am I heard this awful squawking from my backyard in Denver. Ran out with a flashlight and found my rooster, Gus, trapped half in half out with the door clamped on his back. The sensor failed to detect him. I unplugged the whole thing right there and manual latched it. Now I'm back to closing the coop myself at dusk, which is annoying but way safer. Anyone have a brand that actually works without crushing birds?
A pack of kids ran through my yard chasing a ball and my whole flock vanished under the coop. Took me hours to coax them out with scratch grains and now I always keep a small fenced run attached. Anyone else deal with spooked birds taking forever to come back?
I stopped by Tractor Supply last weekend and looked at their $400 coop kits and the wood felt like balsa, hinges were already rusting, and the roof was just painted OSB that'll rot in one rainy season. Has anyone else had to completely rebuild one of those kits within the first year?
Used to keep a red heat lamp over my chicks but after a near miss with a dust fire I switched to a brooder plate. Has anyone else made the switch and noticed their chicks sleeping different?
He said they were pacing the fence like his class hamster used to, so I tossed in a cabbage on a string and they went nuts, has anyone else gotten solid chicken advice from a random kid?
Old lady next door came over last month complaining about early morning noise. Turns out my rooster was sleeping right next to the fence. I moved the coop 15 feet further into my yard and added a thick row of bushes for sound dampening. Cost me about $60 for the plants but now she waves at me instead of giving dirty looks. Anyone else have neighbors complain about noise?
I dropped $90 on a 'cozy coop' heater last December because I was convinced my hens would freeze during that cold snap we had in Ohio. After a week of using it, I peeked in and they were all huddled away from it, huddled together like they always do. Did some reading and realized chickens handle cold way better than I thought, and the heater was just a fire risk. Anyone else waste cash on something the chickens didn't even want?
Last spring my Buff Orpington named Mabel went broody for like 3 weeks straight. I tried everything cold water baths, removing her from the box, nothing worked. Then this old timer at the feed store in Decatur told me to rub a few drops of peppermint oil under her wings. She snapped out of it in 2 days flat. Has anyone else tried essential oils for broodiness or is that just a weird local thing?
I was chatting with my neighbor Diane last weekend while we were both out in our yards, and she mentioned she built her coop with a deep litter method from day one. She said "I haven't fully cleaned it in 18 months and my birds are healthier than ever." It hit different because I've been doing full cleanouts every 3 weeks like clockwork, and now I'm wondering if I'm just stressing my hens out for no reason. Has anyone else switched to deep litter and seen a big difference in their flock's health?
Told me my heat lamp was too close to dry shavings. Two inches closer and it could've sparked. Moved all lamps to metal brackets with wire guards now. Changed my whole setup after that lecture. Anyone else have a close call with heat lamps?
I live in a subdivision outside Austin with a 3 chicken limit per house. She's got 6 hens and a rooster. I tried being nice about it, asked if she could keep him quiet during early morning hours. She said and I quote "Roosters gonna crow, deal with it." So I called code enforcement. Turns out roosters are banned outright in our HOA. She had to rehome him. Now she won't talk to me. I don't feel bad. She knew the rules. Has anyone else had a neighbor refuse to follow local chicken laws?
I used to wash every single egg my girls laid, scrubbing off dirt and poop with warm water. I thought I was being clean and keeping my family safe. Then about 3 months ago, I read a post on here about the bloom and how washing actually removes that natural protective coating. I still didn't believe it until I left a dirty egg on the counter for 2 weeks and it stayed fresh while a washed one went bad in the fridge in 10 days. Now I just brush off the dry stuff with a scrubbie and stick them in the carton directly. Has anyone else had that moment where you realized a basic thing you were doing was totally backwards?
I was up in Portland visiting my sister last summer and stopped by her neighbor's coop. The guy had this simple setup with a timer on a light bulb in the coop. He said 14 hours of light keeps them laying through summer molts. I went home and rigged a cheap timer from Home Depot for $12. Within 3 days my girls were back to giving me 5 eggs a day instead of 1 or 2. Has anyone else tried this or do you just let nature take its course?
Honestly, I followed her advice because she had been raising chickens for a decade. Every December I'd set up that 250 watt bulb and run the extension cord out to the coop. Then last February a hen got too close and singed her comb bad, plus my electric bill hit $180 that month. My vet finally told me chickens are fine down to like 20 degrees if they're dry and out of the wind, so now I just seal up drafts and use deep litter. Has anyone else had a close call with heat lamps or switched to no supplemental heat?
Everyone says heat lamps are mandatory for winter chicks but after my neighbor's coop went up in flames I switched to a heated brooder plate from Tractor Supply and my 6 chicks did fine even in 15 degree weather. Has anyone else ditched the lamps for something safer?
I was skeptical of all the online hype about fermented feed for better egg quality, but after 3 months of trying it with my 6 hens, the yolks are noticeably darker and the shells feel thicker. Has anyone else seen a real difference in their flock, or am I just imagining it?
I was at Tractor Supply in Springfield last Saturday picking up oyster shells when this older guy saw me staring at a list of symptoms on my phone. He walked over and said "stop guessing and just feel her vent, it's right there." He showed me how to gently press below the tail to feel for a stuck egg, no internet needed. I had been stressing for two days about my Buff Orpington acting weird, and it turned out she just needed some calcium. That tip saved me a vet bill and probably the hen. Has anyone else had a random stranger at a store totally fix your chicken problem?
I used pine shavings for two years in my 6-hen coop in Ohio and couldn't kick the ammonia smell no matter how often I cleaned. Switched to straw bales from Tractor Supply about three months ago and the difference is night and day less moisture buildup and easier to spot clean. Anybody else tried switching beddings and found one that really works better?
I was convinced heat lamps were the way to go because they're what everyone talks about, but after 3 chicks got too close and singed their feathers (they're fine, don't worry) I swapped to a $40 brooder plate. The difference in movement is huge - they actually sleep under it instead of huddling in a corner. Has anyone else noticed their chicks acting calmer with a plate versus a lamp?
Last Tuesday my silkie went broody and hatched 3 chicks in the nesting box. Then Thursday a hawk took my favorite hen right in front of me. How do you all handle the emotional roller coaster of losing one while gaining others?
I was at the feed store yesterday picking up some oyster shell for my hens, and this young guy maybe 10 years old told his dad that chickens are basically tiny velociraptors. Made me laugh at first but then I sat there remembering how I used to just think of them as egg machines. My old Rhode Island Red, Gertie, she's got this way of cocking her head and stomping her foot that honestly does look prehistoric. Anyone else ever just watch their flock move and see something ancient in their behavior?
I started keeping chickens three years ago and every guide online said you must clean the coop weekly without fail. So for my first year and a half, I was out there every Saturday morning with a shovel and hose, no exceptions. Then last winter got so cold I skipped three weeks in a row because the water was frozen and I couldn't be bothered. To my surprise, the coop smelled fine, the bedding broke down better, and I haven't seen one mite problem since. I do a deep clean once a month now and just spot clean messes as I see them. Has anyone else moved to a less frequent cleaning schedule and noticed their birds are healthier for it?